Rio Ngumoha staking claim for first Liverpool Premier League start, says Arne Slot

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has hinted that 17-year-old winger Rio Ngumoha could make his first Premier League start this weekend as the Reds prepare to face a struggling Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield.

The England-born Nigerian impressed during last week’s 3-1 FA Cup win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, though he was an unused substitute in Tuesday’s narrow 1-0 Champions League loss to Galatasaray.

Slot has managed the teenager carefully this season, aware of the risks that come with the workload of a young player.

“We have treated him carefully this season,” Slot said at Friday’s press briefing. “He cannot have too many days in a row on the pitch because of (potential) stress fractures. Players of this age can have them and have had them at this club. Jayden Danns is one of the examples of that but Rio is a player who could start for us.”

The winger has been increasingly difficult to leave out thanks to the energy and creativity he brings off the bench. So far, Ngumoha has made 11 league appearances as a substitute, gradually earning longer stints on the pitch and earning a start in the FA Cup triumph over Wolves. Slot confirmed that the young star is now firmly in contention for Premier League minutes.

“He is definitely an option to start in one of the upcoming three games because for the fifth time this season we have to play three times in seven days with an early kick-off at Brighton next Saturday. We’ve been very ‘lucky’ with that schedule this season,” the manager added.

Liverpool’s congested fixture list has made rotation unavoidable, and Ngumoha’s ability to inject pace and unpredictability gives Slot a tempting option against a Tottenham side struggling for form.

Should the teenager feature in Sunday’s clash, it would mark a significant step in his rapid development and underline the faith the Reds’ coaching staff are placing in their academy talent.